Vehicle loading

• When you tow a trailer for the first time, you should take professional training for it
• If you carry a very heavy load, it can affect your vehicle's handling
• The maximum authorised mass (MAM) of any trailer you can tow is 3500kg
• When you hitch an unbraked trailer to a towing vehicle, you need to fit a secondary coupling device to the towing vehicle
• A breakaway cable must be fitted to a trailer braking system
• If you plan to tow a caravan, a stabiliser fitted to the tow bar will help the handling of the combination
• The minimum depth of tread on the tyres of a trailer is 1.6mm
• You must fit exterior towing mirrors if you tow a trailer that's wider than your car
• You can find the maximum noseweight for your vehicle's tow hitch in the vehicle handbook
• If you notice that a light on your trailer is not working, you should repair the fault before continuing with your journey
• A heavy load on your roof rack will reduce your vehicle's stability
• You would increase the pressure in your tyres so that it's above the normal value when carrying a heavy load
• You should load your trailer by putting the heavy items over the axles of your vehicle
• You are restricted from towing a trailer on the right hand lane on a three way motorway
• Suitable restraints should be applied when carrying a load on your roof rack
• If the trailer you're towing starts the swing from side to side you should ease off the accelerator to reduce your speed
• If your trailer starts to swerve or snake you should gently reduce speed
• If you're carrying a child under three years old, a suitable restraint for a child would be a child seat
• Passengers should never be in a caravan as it's being towed
• The driver of the vehicle is responsible for making sure that the vehicle isn't overloaded
• If a trailer has maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 3500kg, that means trailer and load combined cannot exceed 3500kg